I'm waiting for the newspaper people to show up to take pictures of my garden for a follow up on the garden tour pictures. It's about to rain, getting windy and I hear thunder. But still, I have on a cute sundress I bought last weekend in Dallas. I hopefully won't channel Stacey and show tits through the dress for the camera because of the rain.

What are you doing right this minute?

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Answers

Sweating. Waiting for the Zurich GP to start so I can watch me some track & field. Wishing for rain.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Right now I'm basking in the Mean Mommy afterglow of a phone conversation with my 13 year old who has spent all week long acting like a 2 year old (saying 'no' to everything, saying she 'doesn't care' when I tell her that it's going to bite her if she doesn't knock it off, etc) and now wants to go spend the night over at a friends house tomorrow.

Bwahaha.. I reminded her of that consequences thing she didn't care about all week when I needed something from her and said that now that she needs something from me, she might want to spend the next few hours looking around for ways to impress me - like doing all the stuff she refused to help with all week long. Not that it'd guarantee anything, but it should would put me in a more favorable frame of mind to think about it.

I expect to have a remarkably clean house when I get home.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Waiting for a weekend guest to arrive. My first girlfriend is coming up for my birthday. I haven't seen her in 5 years. It's going to be an interesting weekend.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Hah! Go Lynda!

Right this minute I am trying very hard not to blow off my to-do list in favor of reading an online copy of Trollope's _Can You Forgive Her? _. I'm also contemplating cleaning my desk.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Waiting for 3:00pm to pop up on my computer's clock so I can go home. Not that I don't have unpleasant things to do after work, but at least I have two fewer hours of doing unpleasant things AT work. I'll take my happiness where I can find it.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

I'm getting ready to purchase pretty cheap airfare from NYC to Orlando for November ($150!!!!). I'm going to Disney World for Super Soap Weekend (okay, maybe this should be in a shameful secrets thread). My roommate works for Disney, she gets free park passes and we got a discount for the All Star Movie resort too. We decided it would be really fun to spend the weekend ogling the cute ABC soap star boys. I can't believe how excited I am. Haven't been to Disney in about 10 years (as a native Floridian, I went a minimum of once a year growing up). Anyway, I had to share my joy!

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Freaking the fuck out about a meeting I just left, regarding how much is left to do for the gigantic experiment that starts 9 a.m. Monday, and how much of it I can't start on until other people give me data.

Making a valiant effort to say "fuck" at least once in every forum post I make for the rest of the day.

Trying to figure out whether I can afford to take a break and get a late lunch / early dinner, if I want to get home in time to get the blood off my front steps.

And warning my boyfriend to warn his housemates that I'm going to be a rude girlfriend tomorrow night and march over there, loaded down with girly bath stuff and candles and books, and I'm taking an hour- long soak in his bathtub. And I just don't care whether it inconveniences anyone. I need a tub soak or I may kill myself or someone else.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

It's a sunny, breezy, abnormally cool (89F) day, and I just couldn't stand it, so I took the afternoon off work. I've got a couple of books, I've got margarita fixins for later in the afternoon, yesterday was payday, things are calm with the The, so I'm going to kick back and have a relaxed weekend, starting now.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Watching the Cartoon Network and basking in the glow of my very last day of vacation. Sigh....

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Trying to finish making a workbook and get it to print before the end of the day. Being amazed at some of the statistics I'm coming up with for it, and chuckling at the wording "most recent initial application" . . . god, we suck. It's a cute little packet, though.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Hyperventilating. Wondering just how much sleep a person really needs in any given week, to remain lucid. Trying to remind myself that I don't need to write the definitive treatise on every topic related to mine, however tangentially. Consoling myself with the thought that it's a draft, and I will have one more chance to clean it up. Cringing at the thought of anyone, even my advisor, reading it in the state it's in now, or will be in a few hours.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Having my usual Friday afternoon meltdown where I despair at the lack of anything to do over the weekend, and end up crying in my office. I'm seriously contemplating calling my parents up and asking if I can visit for the weekend, just so I will have someplace to go with people and with air conditioning. I'm fucking 33, I shouldn't be running home at the weekends.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Joy, all the more reason for you to move to Portland. If you were here, we could figure out something to do together over the weekend.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Joy ... we have an air conditioner and Amtrak comes up this way. I'm just saying.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Heh. I will add that to the list. So, uh, does this mean I can drop by for some blackberry picking?

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Yes. They're ripe and ready, too. Mmmm, blackberries.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

That was an answer to Philip, but now that I know you have blackberries too, it is very tempting. Unfortunately I don't have any superstrength pain relievers on me, or I might feel it was my duty to take a trip.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

I also thought you were responding to Lisa.

Sure, come on by for blackberries (but you'll have to provide a vehicle as I no longer have a car, and the public transportation system here doesn't go out to the u-pick places).

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Okay! If I hop in the car this evening, I should be there by, oh, the end of next weekend. I could pick up other Suspects on the way, and we could have a big party where we read all the PMs Beth prints out for us and then ceremoniously throw them into a big bonfire.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Sounds like a plan. TUS-BerryCon 2002, here we come!

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

I'm heading home now. Via the farmstand to pick up some fresh tomatoes and corn. I might get other stuff to make gazpacho, since that seems to be the only bearable option in this weather.

Thanks Philip and Lisa for cheering me up.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Right this minute, waffling badly on the iBook purchase. Not whether or not I'm doing it--that's a done deal at this point--just a question of how. I was going to get it through Amazon, which had some bizarre sweet deal with all sorts of free stuff, but they're now out of stock. I could get it from Apple, but that's going to be like 5 days shipping, and now that I've decided, I want it now now now. I'd go back and buy it from the on-campus tech store, but they close at noon on Fridays. Macconnection is sending it with free stuff, but free stuff I don't want. And I want it NOW. Whine whine whine.

I know, my life is so hard. I'll get through somehow.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

I was preparing to head home after my 6-day work week, when one of the editors walked up and told me to proof some pages. Argh. But in better news, someone brought puppies into the advertising department and they're very, very cute. Puppies!

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Right now, I'm doing a little happy dance, because I missed you all, and now I've found you again!!!

I'm also sweating. So hot in Philly today.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Susan, are you anywhere near an Apple Store? That's what satisfies my "NOW, dammit" needs, anyway.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Wow! I just overheard one of our member service representatives tell a member to "just shut up for a second!" Oooh, that's not good. I've never liked this guy anyway. He's snotty and condescending to our members. We have a lot of older members, and some of them can be confused or batty or irascible, but we're a non-profit and we can't afford to piss them off. I don't envy him his job, but he doesn't exactly have the temperament for it. You know, I might have been the only person who overheard; the office is pretty empty today. I don't normally think of myself as a snitch, but I wonder if I should write an anonymous letter to his manager.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Do any of you ever worry that someone from your real life is secretly reading the board just so they can fuck with you? There's this lawyer I have a minor crush on, and today we were talking about what lawyers usually talk about, i.e., not being lawyers anymore. And he said: "Maybe I should just give it up and go back to being a bike messenger."

Be still my heart.

-- Anonymous, August 16, 2002

Right this minute I am at work, which is suckful. But on the other hand, I'm the only one here so I can listen loudly to embarrassing music. I guess that's a small good thing.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

Right this minute Bebe and Lulu are having a snack and watching Madeline. ChaCha is hanging out in the exersaucer, chewing on a teething toy and drooling so much her onesie is soaked through (even with a bib). I'm trying to figure out how to lure a mousie guest to the glue trap. This rodent is brash -- it almost waltzes around the family room after the twins are in bed. What delicious food will tempt a mouse?

And I will have to keep my joy at catching the mouse to myself because the girlies have named it. It is Angelina Ballerina, the dancing mouse. Sometimes anthropomorhizing creatures really sucks.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

When I had the mouse a few weeks ago, the Suspects told me to try peanuts. But I'm not sure if it would hvae worked, because sadly, the cats caught the mouse before I did.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

Right this minute it's almost eleven, so I figure I'll have breakfast. Then since it's not going to 100 again today (Denver's been going back and forth between 70 and 95 the past several days, with high winds overnight to shift the fronts), I'll spend today in the porch swing reading. Oo, and a telemarketer just called. I answered, heard enough, and put the phone down until the caller got bored and hung up.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

I'm sitting around in my undies contemplating what to wear. I'm supposed to meet a cute boy at the beach at 4, but I don't know if I should bring my bathing suit with me to change, or wear it there. Also, smiling while listening to an old mix tape & happy b/c I got laid last night for the first time in a long time. What's this booty calendar y'all keep talking about?

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

Whee! Glitzee, go update the booty calendar, since I'm coming up short on booty this week. Someone has to fill in for me.

Me? Still in the office. Totally hyper with chocolate and soda. Singing along loudly to Joan Jett's cover of Cole Porter's "Let's Do It." Sending lots of email to my boss, and using way too many exclamation points. Slowly! Going! Crazy!

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

I just came in from getting groceries. I'm thinking I'll work tonight on a freelance project, but I may blow that off in favor of something more fun. Alas, no one with whom to share booty, so I can't help fill in the gaps on the calendar.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

I'm just taking a break from painting the kitchen. Why yes, I am procrastinating on my thesis, how can you tell?

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

Watching Office Space. Developing sympathetic tics, and having flashbacks to some of my previous office jobs.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

Am reading the job openings in my county, and feeling slightly depressed.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

I'm feeling better after spending last night in the doldrums (thank you, Karen and Plin, for your posts, which helped a lot). Right now I'm listening to Bobby McFerrin, eating grapes and waiting for the 11:00 Trading Spaces to come on. I've probably seen it already, but one never knows, do one?

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2002

Back at work again. Bah. Typing away furiously, listening to the Hedwig soundtrack, trying to remember why I left a warm cuddly sleepy naked boyfriend in my bed, and came here instead of staying there with him. Grump.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2002

I just got home from an evening out seeing some local musicians do solo spots, including a friend who was celebrating his birthday. I wore a new dress and didn't scrub up half bad for once. The drinks were strong and cheap and I saw a guy that is doing the same course me so I decided we should meet. He was nice. He's cute too but far too young.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2002

I'm deep in the middle of 'day before school' panic, wondering whether my schedule is going to work out, if I should drop the class I don't know if I have time for (but love the teacher and know it is my only chance to take it), when I will have time to pay my fees, where the money will come from, etc. Also pondering watching a movie and listing more stuff on ebay. Thinking of getting dressed. Hoping I won't get buried in an avalanche of junk in my room.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2002

So far this morning I've done laundry and washed my car, so I feel all shiny and productive even though I haven't actually showered or anything yet. And I got to go to the bagel place with all the cute employees. It's tragic, really. I only go there when I'm on my way to do laundry, so they're all so goddamn cute and I'm always unshowered and wearing dirty old clothes that don't fit right anymore. Sigh. No hooking up with cute bagel-store employees in my future, alas.

Right this minute? Trying to figure out if I have houseguests arriving this afternoon. I think I do, but I haven't heard from them since the "okay, we'll call you in a day or two to set up definite plans" email, and that was over a week ago. Also (deeply deeply ashamed of this) watching a crazy passive-aggressive bitchfest taking place in the online journals of some distant acquaintances. Oh, the shame. I should shower or something, clean the kitchen, make up the sofabed.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2002

Right this minute I'm feeling bad for asking Jeremy to do a particular thing with the new board, because it's making him crazy. And I'm wishing I could just get out of the house for the rest of the day.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2002

Watching one of the professors I once had in a marathon interview on Dutch television. Surfing the web, after already discovering earlier today Private Ryan did exist and survived the second world war. Only, his name was Fritz Niland. See here for more details.

Saving private Fritz, ha. That just made my day.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2002

Eating breakfast, drinking coffee, catching up with you people from the weekend. It's 6:30, and I've already gotten the Frau off to work and rearranged my golf bag (shut up). Speaking of golf, how cute was Rich Beem's dancing when he won? Renee? Though I was rooting for Fred Funk. Anyway, I'm about to get in the shower, as I have to take a load of recycling before my 10:30 job interview.

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Guppy said: "Speaking of golf, how cute was Rich Beem's dancing when he won? Renee? Though I was rooting for Fred Funk. Anyway, I'm about to get in the shower, as I have to take a load of recycling before my 10:30 job interview. "

I think they should ALL have to do a dance when they win. I loved it! I wasn't rooting for anyone in particular so it's all good to me. I used to think watching golf was boring...little did I KNOW!

Good luck on the interview!

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Um, watching golf is exciting? Has the nature of golf changed without my knowing it? (Entirely possible.)

Right now I am drinking coffee, watching as the chilly gray drizzle outside turns to light rain (in mid August?!?!) and waiting for Excedrine Migraine to kick my pillow-headache's ass.

We didn't get passwords over the weekend, right? I'm also wondering about that. And whether Selila is okay.

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Shhh, Viv... Renee and guppy are having a little 'thing' regarding golf - it's best to just let them go and hope it passes...

(And yeesh, it's contagious - a bunch of guys are right this minute congregating around my cubicle to talk golf! Go away, golf people!)

er...except guppy and renee, of course, because 1) they are cute when they do it and 2) they aren't standing around my workspace talking about it.

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Viv, I was wondering that myself re: emails. I was starting to become paranoid that I mistyped my email address in or something. I see the login doolie comes up when you go to the board, but I don't have a password!

I am sitting here at work, after biking the 8km. It wasn't too bad, although I need a better seat on my bike because...ouch. It's clouding over, so I might be riding home in the rain. Yay!

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Okay, Lynda, I'm willing to admit that Guppy and Renee are probably cute even while discussing the way the color subtley changes while paint dries. (Subtly? Whatever. Still can't spell.)

Kate, I'm sure Beth will let us know when the passwords have gone out. Um, right, Beth?

Unless she's died from Taco Bell poisoning.

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Writing an email to my DC friend about my september visit there.

Comtemplating whether to stay here or move back home to Denmark. Is not-wanting-to-be-single forever a valid reason for relocation?

Trying to look like Im working.

Writing my grocery list and hoping Sum of All Fears Will Be Good.

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002

Yes. Actually I'm not going to send out passwords after all; we found a way to do it that was a hell of a lot less work. You'll all have to request a temporary password from the forum and it will be e- mailed to you. (Yes, I know that function used to send you a password that did not actually work, but Jeremy stayed up all night fixing it.)

We're just about ready to go except we have a stupid error we can't fix. He has to go to school so it won't be back up until tonight.

-- Anonymous, August 19, 2002